The present invention relates to electric outlets and more specifically, to an electric outlet dust protective structure, which uses a top dust cover and two side dust covers to close the front opening of the housing of the electric outlet against outside dust and two compression springs to support the dust covers in the close position.
FIGS. 1˜3 show an electric outlet dust protective structure according to the prior art. According to this design, the electric outlet dust protective structure is comprised of an electric outlet housing 911, a dust cover 912, a torsional spring 913, a back cover 914, and a terminal holder body 915. This design of electric outlet dust protective structure has drawbacks as follows:                1. When connecting an electric plug to the electric outlet, the user must open the terminal holder body 915 by lifting the dust cover 912 to compress the torsional spring 913, however lifting the dust cover 912 requires much effort.        2. The torsional spring 913 wears quickly with use. When started to wear, the torsional spring 913 may be unable to hold the dust cover 912 in the close position.        
FIGS. 4˜6 show another design of electric outlet dust protective structure according to the prior art. According to this design, the electric outlet dust protective structure is comprised of an electric outlet housing 921, a main dust cover 922, an auxiliary dust cover 923, a compression spring 94, a locating plate 925, a back cover 926, and a terminal holder body 927. When opening the electric outlet, press the main dust cover 922 downwards to lower the auxiliary dust cover 923. This design requires less effort to open the dust covers 922, 923. However, if the electric outlet is installed in a corner area behind a furniture or an object, it is still inconvenient to approach the main dust cover 922.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an electric outlet dust protective structure that eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks.
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide an electric outlet dust protective structure, which can conveniently be operated with less effort. To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, the electric outlet dust protective structure is installed in the housing of an electric outlet and adapted to close the front opening of the housing of the electric outlet against outside dust when the module jack of the electric outlet is not inserted with an electric plug. The electric outlet dust protective structure comprises a top dust cover, which has a top finger strip and an actuating block with two sloping side edges, left and right side dust covers each having a respective sloping top guide face maintained in contact with the sloping side edges of the actuating block and a respective guide groove coupled to a respective guide rod at the top dust cover for easy downward movement with the top dust cover to open the front opening of the housing, and two spring members that support the side dust covers and the top dust cover in the close position to close the front opening of the housing.